Mayhem at the BBC’s rap festival
Mass brawl and star slashed at show open to children aged 14
CHILDREN as young as 14 were caught up in chaotic scenes at a BBC music festival in which one of its stars was slashed in a backstage attack.
The sold- out Radio 1Xtra’s rap and hip-hop event was shut down after presenter Casyo ‘Krept’ Johnson, 29, was wounded shortly after introducing acts on stage.
Police were alerted to an assault in the backstage area at around 10pm on Saturday by security staff at Arena Birmingham. The artist – part of rap duo Krept and Konan, who have worked with Ed Sheeran – escaped with minor injuries and said yesterday that he would ‘be back in no time’.
In an unrelated incident, a 23-yearold man was arrested on suspicion of possession of a knife despite airportstyle security arches at the arena.
Serious questions are now being raised over how a weapon could have got past security at the 1Xtra Live event, which was attended by children.
Disappointed fans described the show as a ‘mess’ – claiming it was plagued by fights and drugs with ‘minimal security’.
Shocking footage on social media apparently from the event showed young girls in violent brawls, with one punched repeatedly on the floor.
One music fan, brand manager Corey Birdsall, described it as the ‘worst event to date’ with ‘minimal searching’. He tweeted: ‘The atmosphere inside 1Xtra was off for a large amount of the evening. From my observations security did minimal searching and were just happy for you to empty your pockets.
‘Nobody was informed the arena was (un)safe and all were just asked to leave. Bad energy inside and out.’
Another guest Georgina Coral, 25, tweeted: ‘I just wanna know how someone got a knife in... the whole event was a mess, fights, people smoking weed and a stabbing?!’
The event, which was due to finish at around 11pm, was cut short before some of the headline acts – which included French Montana – could perform. PR director Carrie Rose wrote: ‘The place was a menace. Staff being dragged on the floor, police everywhere.’ Radio 1Xtra announced it was shutting down the event, saying: ‘Following an isolated serious incident, we have had to stop 1Xtra Live. We are co-operating fully with the police to establish what has happened.’ Detectives are reviewing CCTV footage and speaking to potential witnesses, while forensics investigators were brought in. A spokesman from West Midlands Police a slash said: wound ‘ A during man sustained an assault at around 10pm and was treated by on-site medical staff.’ Krept tweeted yesterday: ‘My people thanks for the messages I’m good, I’ll be back in no time. God was with me trust me. Can’t keep a good man down.’ Many fans called on the BBC to issue full or partial refunds of tickets, which cost around £30. An Arena spokesman refused to comment on the security. The venue is believed to have stepped up checks after the Ariana Grande terror attack in Manchester in 2017.